WAVES0303

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Africa RISING West Africa Virtual Exchange Seminar (WAVES)
3 March 2021
Virtual via Ms TEAMS
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Participants

  1. N. A. Rahman, IITA – Ghana
  2. B. Boyubie, IITA – Ghana
  3. B. Kotu, IITA – Ghana
  4. B. Zemadim, ICRISAT
  5. E. Thuijsman , WUR
  6. F. Badolo , ICRISAT
  7. F. Kizito, IITA – Ghana
  8. F. Muthoni, IITA - Tanzania
  9. G. Fischer, IITA – Tanzania
  10. I. H. Zeledon, IITA – Ibadan
  11. I. Sugri, CSIR-SARI
  12. J. Groot, WUR
  13. J. Odhong, IITA – Ibadan
  14. K. Jimah, IITA – Ghana
  15. N. Y. Asafu-Adjaye, CSIR-STEPRI
  16. T. Ansah, UDS
  17. T. Minh, IWMI
  18. W. O. Duah, IITA – Ghana


Agenda

  1. Welcome and introduction
  2. Review of progress with West Africa handbook
  3. Any Other Business

Welcome and introduction - F. KIzito,IITA, Chief Scientist West Africa Project


F. Kizito

  • I really appreciate that you have taken time to attend this meeting, knowing how much you are all busy. It is good that you are able to attend this meeting. Like we agrred during the previous meeting, we will be doing this the first Wednesday of every month. We need to catch up to ensure that we are on track on our scientific deliverables.
  • During the pprevious meeting, we discussed the handbook and I greatly appreciate Wilhelmina and Jonathan who coordinated to ensure that we have the minutes of the meeting, and this was shared with you. In case you don’t have access them, I can again paste them as a link in the chat to access later.
  • The minutes for this meeting will be shared with you all.
  • It will also be good for members who are not necessarily part of this meeting to follow up later.
  • During our first meeting last month, we discussed how we could get our handbook back on track. A couple of steps were laid out that we needed to follow. We sent a couple of email reminders during the course of the month. I greatly appreciate the partners that were able to get back to us in relation to the progress of the handbook chapters. A couple of suggestions came on board as to areas that we needed to change: delete/ include some authors and chapters, change the ordering of chapters etc. This is very encouraging because I look at this as the foundation for our house. The foundation needs to be prepared – there is the need to know who is committed to the processing, who will continue along the way. It is going to be an interactive process so that we get a refined product.
  • Unless we get the team on board and the content of the handbook, we cannot really proceed. Now that we have got 30% response, I think we can use this meeting as an opportunity to tie up the other loose ends, and start working on the respective chapters.
  • I would also like to pause for any other introductory comments or remarks that Irmgard would like to share with us in relation to the process.


I. Hoeschle-Zeledon

  • We are still at the very beginning of publishing this handbook; it’s a long process. You may know that we are also publishing such a book for Africa RISING ESA. And, its been exactly one year since we started working very intensively , on writing and revising of the chapters; and fulfilling all the requirements that the publisher asked us. We are still far away from publishing and we hope that within the next six (6) months the book will be published. We are still in the process of giving final touches to the chapters, and then we will send them for proof reading.
  • We should not think that when we submit the first version of the chapter, we won’t have anything more to do. There will be several back and forth works to review the chapters, to amend dates and to respond to reviewers’ comments. I hope that you will not decrease your enthusiasm to have this book published. I’m very sure it will be very useful, but it’s a big job.

I. Hoeschle-Zeledon

  • Thanks Irmgard. I like the note on which you ended – we should keep our enthusiasm and I hope you’ve been passionate about this mainly because it will increase the visibility of the work that is being done.
  • I would like to bring to your attention that there is a template I have shared with you earlier in relation to the meetings that we are meant to hold monthly. We have meetings lined up for the next three months. We also have quite a number of slots that are open. As and when you feel comfortable about sharing your knowledge product or something you are about to publish, feel free to share it because this will help colleagues to make their inputs. As much as we can, we should try and share content with the people who are going to attend the meetings so that they can make meaningful contributions to their work. We really wanted to ensure that we finish our handbook.
  • In a meeting I had three weeks ago with Irmgard, we thought it would be a good road map for us to streamline the handbook, and once we are done with the streamlining, we will then have the modeling on April 7. Jean Baptiste’s work will follow, and then Francis Muthoni’s. I really appreciate the colleagues who filled this template. We should kindly feel free to fill in the dates which would be convenient for us. I would like to share with you the template that we needed to discuss upon mainly in relation to the respective chapters and bring you up to speed.

Review of progress with West Africa handbook


Key action points

  1. Lead Authors for each Chapter will discuss and confirm team members (most have been identified)
  2. Lead authors to discuss with respective co-authors the Titles of each Chapter
  3. Lead Authors conduct a consultative process to decide on what the sub-components for each Chapter are (Please refer to Chapter sub-components below this Table).



WA handbook chapters and authors

Chapter Lead Author Contributing Authors
Introduction – General Fred Kizito Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon, Birhanu Zemadim, Jonathan Odhong
Chapter 1: Weaving Gender into Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Interventions Gundula Fischer Kipo J, Michalscheck M, Minh Thai, Bekele Kotu,
Chapter 2: Genetic intensification for resilient cropping systems Nebie B Nebie B, Toure A, Haile D, Kanton RAL, Denwar A, Tignegre J B, Kusi F, Kotu B, Gundula F, Badolo F, Shaibu M, Kipo J
Chapter 3: Practices to intensify and diversify cropping systems Buah SSJ (*Nurudeen to follow up on this) Buah SSJ, Nurudeen A R, Larbi A, Kanton RAL, Folorunso M. Akinseye, Tignegre J B, Haruna A, Kusi F, Mumuni A, Kotu B, Gundula F, Badolo F, Shaibu
Chapter 4: Integrated soil fertility management Nurudeen A R Buah SS, Nurudeen A R, Larbi A, Kanton RAL, Yilzagla J, Kotu B, Bouba T, Gundula F, Badolo F, Shaibu M, Kalifa Traore
Chapter 5: Strategies for improving land, soil and water resources management Birhanu Z Kizito F, Minh Thai, Kalifa T, Adimassu Z, Appoh R,Ayantunde A, Umutoni C, Kotu B, Gundula F, Badolo F, Shaibu M, Kipo, J ; Possibly consider contact Eva Huet
Chapter 6: Improved small ruminant practices/technologies Ayantunde A Adda W, Salifu S, Avornyo F K, and Theophile Dembele
Conservation and utilization of crop residues for livestock feed (Consider being part of Chapter 6) Addah Wesseh Augustine Ayantunde, Sarfo G K, Amponsah K B, Nantume H, Coulibaly S, Koita S, Larbi A, Kotu B, Gundula F, Badolo F, Shaibu M
Developing the Small Ruminant Value Chain in Northern Ghana (Consider being part of Chapter 6) Franklin Avornyo Augustine Ayantunde
Chapter 7: Minimizing food waste and improving food safety Ortega-Beltran A Bandyopadhyay R, Agbetiameh D, Sugri I, Haile D,
Chapter 8: Improving household nutrition and food quality Saaka MM (*Fred to follow up) Sobgui CM, Fawzi S, Diallo F C, Coulibaly S S, Kotu B, Gundula F, Badolo F
Chapter 9: Integration and systems approaches for Africa RISING interventions Fred Kizito Katrien Descheemaeker, Arouna Dissa, Kotu B, Gundula F, Groot J, Michalscheck M, Thuijsman, E.
Chapter 10: Approaches for taking technologies to scale (Include experiences from other Regions) Consider who will take leadership Felix Badolo, Jeroen, MirjaNzungize J, Sogoba B, Binam J, Sseguya, Kizito F, Dicko M, Birhanu Z, Muthoni F, Nurudeen A R, Larbi A

NOTE: The discussions captured in the notes below have been reflected in the above table representing the current status of the chapters and authors.
General Discussion




Introduction Chapter
Authors: Fred Kizito (lead), Irmgard. Hoeschle-Zeledon, Birhanu Zemadim, Jonathan Odhong




Chapter 1: Genetic intensification for resilient cropping systems
Authors: Nebie Baloua (lead), Toure A, Haile D, Kanton RAL, Denwar A, Jean BaptisteTignegre, Francis Kusi, Bekele Kotu, Gundula Fischer, Melon Shaibu, Kipo Jimah

  • We have a challenge here. If you look at chapter 1, we have a couple of outstanding areas that I need confirmation. For instance, there are some people we need to get in touch with and to know whether they are willing to continue contributing to the Genetic Intensification chapter. I know the rest are here. The reason why we need to go through this is because most of these are legacy names that we have put; and probably some people may not know that they were listed. We need this confirmation to concretize the names and then move forward.
  • Is Bekele aware that he’s listed on this chapter and willing to contribute to this?
  • B. Kotu: I don’t know the content of this Genetic Intensification for resilient cropping system. I am supposed to contribute from the research that I have done.
  • F. Kizito: You can contribute to the extent that probably you can offer some economic assessment around Dual purpose of sorghum in Mali with Felix. Thus you are a contributor to that component
  • B. Kotu – we will look into that and if we have some analysis, we will contribute.
  • F. Kizito: colleagues should respond to the questions in relation to the content. Soon after the table, there is kind of skeleton that is offered for each chapter. The content is provided. For some of the chapters like livestock, I had a conversation with Augustine. We have crossed out content that he feels is not relevant; and people are not there to contribute.
  • Again, this content is going to be revised and we will know exactly what content will be written and available. If a particular content has no one to contribute to, then we will cross it out and proposed authors that would have been put on it would be dropped – this is a consultative process.
  • G. Fischer – for the first chapter, I could contribute together with John Baptiste on the vegetables in Mali – the focus will be on vegetables.
  • F. Kizito – I confirm Jean Baptiste and Gundula Fischer.
  • K. Jimah – I confirm my participation and willingness to give
  • B. Kotu – you could put Felix as the co-author so that we could consult with him. He is also working closely with Baloua.
  • F. Kizito – Will Dr. Asamoah Larbi and Roger Kanton be in position to contribute to this chapter?
  • A. Nurudeen : Saaka Buah is contributing to chapter 3. I spoke with him and I am sure he will be willing because he listed the technologies that they did and those they have published. Once he is there, I think it will be easy for us to get in touch with those from SARI who are on this. He can lead us to get in touch with them. For example, Kanton, Haruna, are all still at SARI. He knows what they did so he can easily get in touch with them for us.
  • F. Kizito: I will also get the chance to get in touch with him.
  • Is there any author among these that you think is not necessarily available? Are you in touch with Francis Kusi?
  • A. Nurudeen – I have not contacted him on this but I’m sure he is there; they have published something on their technology which is the cowpea – planting date. I don’t know if he will be willing, but if he would like to contribute, it would be easy for him. He has something on that.
  • I don’t see Cowpea as one of the sub chapters. For the sub chapter components, each of the co-authors need to list the technology for which they have evidence.


Chapter 2: Practices to intensify and diversify cropping systems
Authors: Saaka Buah, Abdul Rahman Nurudeen, Asamoah Larbi, Kanton RAL, Folorunso M. Akinseye, Jean Baptiste Tignegre, Haruna A, Francis Kusi, Mumuni A, Bekele Kotu, Gundula Fischer, Felix Badolo, Melon Shaibu




Chapter 3: Integrated Soil fertility management
Authors: Abdul Rahman Nurudeen (lead), Saaka Buah, Asamoah Larbi, Kanton RAL, Yilzagla J, Bekele Kotu, Bouba Traore, Gundula Fischer, Felix Badolo, Melon Shaibu

  • A. Nurudeen – For chapter 3, except Gundula and, Shaibu, I think I have contacted everybody and they are all willing to contribute to their topics. We have even made room for new technologies that are available and published.
  • F. Kizito – that’s a good point raised. If there is new technology that is not necessarily part of this sub component, there is still room for us to have that into the process. Thanks Nurudeen.



Chapter 4: Strategies for improving land, soil and water resources management
Authors: Birhanu Zemadim (lead), Fred Kizito, Thai Minh, Kalifa Traore, Zenebe Adimassu, Appoh R, Augustine Ayantunde, Umutoni C, Bekele Kotu, Gundula Fischer, Felix Badolo, Melon Shaibu, Kipo Jimah

  • F. Kizito – I put Birhanu’s namein this chapter. It was my name but I dropped it and I thought it would be good for Birhanu to lead the process. Maybe we need to get in touch with each of these respective people apart from Umutoni. Birhanu, can we get a confirmation that you are willing to lead the process?
  • B. Zemadim – Yes, sure
  • I. H. Zeledon – On chapter three, Birhanu wrote in the chat box that Kalifa Traore could also be part of it.
  • F. Kizito – Birhanu and Nurudeen should kindly take the responsibility to contact Kalifa Traore.

F. Kizito – Work has been done on Area measurement of plots and mapping of fields for land management. This was a collaborative effort through the study of Arouna Dissa, Katrien Descheemaeker as well as Kalifa Ouattara. It was brought to my attention that it was still called chapter 4. It should have been called chapter 5. These are fluid numbers, they will change overtime., It has now been brought on board. It has not been included.

I. H. Zeledon – what is behind this chapter 4 or new chapter 5 now? F. Kizito – Chapter 4 was mainly looking at the value of farmers knowing their boundaries. Once they are mapped, land management practices that involved either shared resources such as mechanized farming, manure, can easily take place. They can also easily be identified from spatial imagery, in case there are recommendations around improved methods of land management, with regards to flooding, increeent of soil fertility etc . I. H. Zeledon – Could this be part of chapter 4 under land and water management? It was just an impression I got from what you described. I thought this would match or fit well into chapter 4. F. Kizito – I was also thinking that this could be a sub component of chapter 4. I think this is the reason why I put it as chapter 4. I will list it as a sub component of chapter 4, and we will still maintain the numbering. Birhanu could kindly get in touch with Arouna Dissa, and let him know that we will bring it under chapter 4. I will clean up this later. I really appreciate the Irmgard’s contribution.



Chapter 5: Contribution of area measurement of plots and mapping of fields to land management
Authors: Arouna Dissa, Katrien Descheemaeker, Kalifa Ouattara

  • Augustine has sent his apologies that he would not be able to meet with us. In a meeting with him this morning, he proposed that the topic on poultry should be taken out from his chapter. This was mainly because all the people who would contribute to the poultry chapter were no longer available.
  • I. H. Zeledon – The partners are no longer part of AR project but they have work on this and AR has invested in their work. I think the people are still there. If they are not interested in writing, it’s another thing; but but it may be a bit premature to say that they are no longer available.,
  • F. Kizito – that’s correct. I think the criteria for inclusion or the lack thereof should be based on whether someone says he does not have time and not willing to be part of the process. It could also be having insufficient knowledge or data. Maybe I can tentatively put this on hold and request Augustine do follow up on the team involved. Gundula, Bekele, Felix and Shaibu should potentially be co-authors. This is because Gundula has some collaborative work done with Weseh Addah and Terry Ansah on small ruminants and feeding practices. . If there are any of those technologies, they will possibly fall under this chapter. I can give chance to the respective co-authors, Terry and Gundula to intervene here.

Gundula Fischer – Yes, we have worked on leaf stripping

  • F. Kizito –This could be a good fit here because that was used for small ruminants feeding. There are feeding interventions here that will be discussed under feed troughs.

Let us look at the content of chapter 5 and flag that.

  • I thought the next chapter wass a sub component. We could make this a broader topic like ‘improved management of small ruminants.’ This could be in relation to feeding and housing. This would be a sub component ofthe chapter.
  • Weseh Addah wrote it up, and it was reviewed. It’s quite a comprehensive book chapter that he wanted it to be published in cgspace. He proposed that we could take sub components of the book chapter and put it as part of this handbook.
  • B. Kotu – I think this could be applicable to chapter 7 Ruminant feeding, health and value chain could be sub components of livestock. .
  • F. Kizito – This could be considered and discussed with them.
  • There are a lot of institutional aspects related to this. Partnering along the value chain could be a sub component. We have to ensure the institutional aspects are taken care of to ensure feeding, housing and health interventions really have impact at scale.
  • I. H. Zeledon – I think we just have to find appropriate title for this chapter. Birhanu was also suggesting that Eva Thuijsman should be part of the previous chapter, i. e chapter 4 (Strategies for improving land, soil and water resources management)
  • E. Thuijsman – Do you think I should contribute here? I was just waiting to contribute to chapter 10.
  • I. H. Zeledon – If you think that, then that’s fine. What was Birhanu’s thinking?
  • B. Zemadim – I was thinking that Eva Thuijsman is a friend of Arouna Dissa – they work together.
  • E. Thuijsman – No, that’s Eva Huet.
  • F. Kizito – Eva Thuijsman should help us contact Eva Huet.


Chapter 6: Improved small ruminants practices, technologies
Authors: Augustine Ayantunde (lead author) Weseh Addah, Salifu Sadat, Avornyo Franklin, Theophile Dembele




Chapter 7: Feed Conservation, ensiling, and Health management, feed chopper
Authors:




Chapter 8: Minimizing food waste and improving food safety
Authors:

  • F. Kizito – We have Felix, Gundula, Bekelepresent in this meeting. Do Gundula and Bekele have presentation on this? I also noticed that we don’t have anything on maize shellers. Quite a good of work has gone on. Could we have something on post-harvest? Then within the post-harvest, we can have the shellers, minimizing food waste and safety.
  • B. Kotu – these are studies that we are going to present. The maize shelling is an ongoing activity and I’m not sure it’s mature enough to add to the handbook. . There are a lot of activities like demonstrations, trainings. Since the book chapter is based on study research and concrete evidences, , the study is still ongoing; it’s not completed. Therefore, it’s a bit early, premature to include the maize shelling.
  • G. Fischer – In terms of minimizing food waste, I don’t think I have anything to contribute.
  • F. Kizito – I was thinking that based on the work that you have done, you are already have a publication drafted.
  • B. Kotu – We do not yet have a draft on this chapter. We have a publication from ESA, not from WA.
  • F. Kizito – Could Sugri be part of this chapter?

Issah Sugri – I will be willing to contribute to the chapter on minimizing post-harvest losses in cowpea; and minimizing post-harvest losses in maize storage.

  • F. Kizito – I will list it as a sub component on chapter 8. If colleagues have a contribution, they should kindly put this as a sub component chapter.

Issah Sugri – With regards to the chapter on the maize shelling, if the work is not published, could it be considered?

  • F. Kizito – There would not be problem for that. We can review the report, let it go through an internal peer review process and publish it on cgspace. I know you have done quite a bit of an extensive work with the farmers on assessment of the different choices they would have around the shellers. I think this is possible. We can fast track peer review for it to get onto cgspace.
  • Again, colleagues should know that this work will go through an external peer review process. Peer reviewers will get back to us on scientific content credibility- whether we have sufficient scientific data. Even though we are communicating it to the Extension Agents, the science has to be the foundation for the handbook we will be presenting.
  • Issah Sugri –The lead author is yet to contact us..
  • F. Kizito – Is Irmgard in touch with Ortega Betrand?
  • I. H. Zeledon – I am not in touch with him. I’m not sure he has ever been contacted. I can contact him a. If he says he is not an expert in minimizing post-harvest losses, but in food safety, he could contribute. Food safety also indirectly minimizes food waste.


Chapter 9: Improving household nutrition and food quality
Authors: Dr. Mahama Saaka (lead)

  • F. Kizito – This will be led by Dr. Mahama Saaka.

Minh, I thought most of the work that IWMI is doing will come under this chapter. We need to have it listed under this chapter, so I included youin this chapter.

  • Thai Minh – I don’t have expertise in the technical, biophysical aspects. I’m more in the social qualitative research. I’m not sure if I will be able to contribute. I think Dr. Funke could contribute. I can contribute to chapter 11, where I see my name . It is in my area of expertise.
  • F. Kizito –I included Minh here because strategies for improving land, soil and water resources management, are beyond the biophysical; it includes other socio-economic institutional issues. Minh’s work is around the various mechanisms that enhance irrigation within small holder farmers either through access to technology, finance, blended finance instrument. This will be really a very good sub component of this chapter and it will actually strengthen it. We could discuss the biophysical part – we can have another institutional element around the chapter.
  • I. H. Zeledon – In this chapter ‘Natural Resource Management’, what should be the important aspect here is the whole policy aspect on policies and access to water resources.

It should not be limited to that because the biophysical, the infrastructure is not a solution to this alone.

  • Thai Minh – It will be a challenge for me if I have to lead the chapter.
  • F. Kizito – You will not lead, you will contribute as a co-author
  • I. H. Zeledon – Fred and Gundula, haven’t we agreed that this gender aspect should be considered in each and every check that deals with the biophysical technologies?
  • G. Fischer – I think that would be very great if it is not added or considered separately but made parts of each chapter.
  • F. Kizito – I agree with Gundula and Irmgard but about a week ago, we had a discussion on, where to place chapter 11 in the handbook. Gundula should walk us through what her thoughts are concerning the kind of transition that seem to weave gender into the various chapters so that at least it is not seen as an article.
  • G. Fischer – The title is very preliminary. It is actually the title I wrote for the ESA handbook, so we still have to think of a new title. I think having a separate gender chapter should provide an opportunity to introduce a gender focus which will then be reflected in all the other chapters as well. I have written to a number of people and, Kipo, Mirjia, Minh and Bekele have agreed to be part of the team. I want Mahama Saaka to be part of the team as well because I am thinking about covering a different domain. I have not received an answer from Mahama Saaka.and Nurudeen. I was also thinking, to include somebody from the livestock domain as well in the chapter. An idea, brought forward by Fred, was to look at the different domains to see how gender questions can be developed for them. Another important aspect will be to look at different technologies that are offered in the various chapters and provide gender questions that could be picked up by those technologies. Issues that connect chapters 9 and 10 or chapter 7 to other chapters will then be brought up. .
  • F. Kizito – We had discussed that maybe for a change, gender could be put at the end, or it could be made chapter 1, as our curtain raiser. Could you (Gundula) talk about that as well?
  • G. Fischer – Would it make sense to place gender at the end or it would be better to place a mainstreaming chapter in the very beginning? We felt that it will be good to move the chapter up because otherwise, it will seem more like an addition. It does not seem like a major concern, or something that we aim to achieve, or something that we want to mainstream towards the other works that we have. It was discussed that chapter 10 should be moved up, to be like an introduction to gender. It will then weaveinto other chapters and the other technologies that are introduced.
  • F. Kizito – Thanks Gundula. That’s well said. What are the thoughts of colleagues on the discussion around gender? Feel free to propose your thoughts.


Chapter 10: Improving household nutrition and food quality
Authors: Dr. Mahama Saaka (lead)

  • B. Zemadim – I had a discussion with John. He left ICRISAT and joined another organization. Probably we can rearrange with the lead author on this and ask co-authors’ contributions from other scientists
  • F. Kizito – we may not necessarily strike him off from the co-authors but the overall leadership.
  • I. H. Zeledon – It would be good if John could still contribute to this chapter. He might not be willing to contribute because he is with another organization . However, he is a co-author, and his experience with the USAID funding scaling, that would be very helpful. We can also put experiences from elsewhere. Fred Kizito, Mekonnen Kindu and Mateete Bekunda are working on the publication on scaling experiences. I think part of this publication could be included in this chapter to make it not very academic.
  • What I’m missing here is the aspect of targeting, and that brings in our work on typologies and therefore the involvement of Jeron Groot and Mirjia Michalscheck in this chapter.
  • J. Groot – it’s part of our work. We are preparing a separate paper. I can imagine parts of our resources being incorporated here
  • I. H. Zeledon – Definitely, that should not get lost.
  • F. Muthoni – This will be OK, and we will be happy to contribute on that aspect.
  • F. Kizito – That’s very good. We will clean this up afterwards. At least we have captured what needs to be captured. This meeting has been very productive. At least from my side, I’ve never got a good feedback .
  • I. H. Zeledon – The next important step is for the lead author and co-authors to look at the content of the chapters, what is there at the bottom down to verify whether it still stands or changes must be made to that. For example, if chapter 1 is about drought and striga tolerant maize varieties; sorghum hybrids; etc, one needs to check what is there. This is because the contents of the chapters and the authors have been developed some time ago. . This is not carved in stone so the lead author, together with the team, can make adjustments, modifications to the contents of the chapter.
  • A. R. Nurudeen – In the previous meeting, some chapters were proposed. I would like to find out how we will merge it to know how it will fit.
  • F. Kizito – Is there any new proposal that has not been included in this meeting’sdiscussion?
  • I talked about mechanization. We were also speaking about inclusions and work from Minh; inclusion of work from Addah on ensiling. If there was any new chapter proposal that was mentioned earlier, but has not yet been captured,, it should be flagged.
  • A. R. Nurudeen – No. new chapter. The titles of the chapters were revised. For instance, , the proposed new ones from the ESA, the chapter 3 is supposed to be merged with chapter 2 under one chapter in the new chapter proposed. It concerns the link provided for the survey conducted – there were some chapters there.
  • F. Kizito – You raised a good point. I will check to see the need for revision of chapter names, and I will definitely revert back to the team. I guess the lead authorshave the discretion to decide on the chapter names that are inclusive in terms of the sub components listed here. It’s still very fluid right now. We can always frame up the actual wording of the chapters at the latter stage. Right now we are really more concerned about the content and the authorship that goes into it.. This will more or less help us come up with a chapter title that is befitting for both content and authorship.
  • I. H. Zeledon – This is what I wanted to say in my previous contribution, concerning the lead authors working with their team, their co-authors on the content of the chapter and appropriate title of the chapter. The ones that we have are working titles.
  • F. Kizito – These are working titles, but at least it’s given us some jumpstart on how best we can proceed. This is what I want it to be.
  • Issah Sugri – Is there a clear deadline for this activity? This is because it’s for 3 or 4 years now. Can we have a clear deadline for first draft?
  • F. Kizito – It was stated in a survey conducted that by early next year, we would have a draft that we would all be comfortable with. It was remarked that setting a target within one year was very ambitious. This should not be discouraging. I think it’s doable, let us target that. The ambitiousness stems from the fact that partners have so many other things to do; but where there is a will, there is a way. Within the respective teams, most of the content is already there. The content that will not necessarily be part of the handbook could be taken out, while the content that will be present could be refined. There is still quite a lot of work that needs to be done with the publisher. We need to also give some anticipated time for the review. We deliberated on having at least something that can be shared by July 2021. This will then allow the process to roll. Unless

Any Other Business


  • Next meeting would be April 7. We would be discussing works on systems dynamics, modelling. This has been a collaborative effort.

Closing - F. KIzito,IITA, Chief Scientist West Africa Project


  • Thank you ladies and gentlemen. I appreciate your time. We will share the transcripts of this meeting through a link on the wiki.